Greyhound or G-Class Fleet
Destroyer ordered from Vickers Armstrong, Newcastle under 1933 Programme in
March 1934. The ship was laid down on 30th September that year as Yard No 700.
The ship was launched on 15th August 1935. She was the 6th RN warship to carry
the name which dates from 1656 and had been used by 2 merchant ships which
fought against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Build was completed on 6 March 1936
at a cost of £248,528 (excluding Admiralty supplied equipment such as guns,
ammunition and communications equipment. Before beginning Fleet service with
the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean she was used to carry out
comparative trials using Admiralty design and commercial design propellers.
After a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in March
1942 this ship was adopted by the civil community of Oldbury,
then in Worcestershire. Yard No on build was 700.

Joined Western
Approaches Command and transferred to Harwich with Flotilla.

16th
- Commenced convoy defence and contraband control
duties.

17th
- Damaged at Harwich.

19th
- Taken in hand for repair in London commercial shipyard.

21st - Took
part in rescue of survivors from HM Destroyer GIPSY which sank in the entrance
toHarwich after detonating a magnetic
mine.(Note: HM Destroyers KEITH and
BOADICEA also assisted in the rescue operations.

)

December

7th - Resumed
duties at Harwich.

1 9 4 0

January

Deployed on
North Sea patrol and contraband duties.

19th - Took
part in search and rescue operation with HMS GRENADE for survivors from HMDestroyer GRENVILLE that had been mined and sunk 23
miles east of Kentish KnockLight Vessel(Note: 113 men were picked up by these two ships.)

February

Patrol and
convoy defence duty based at Harwich in continuation.

2nd - During
escort of East Coast southbound Convoy FS 84 with HMS GALLANT, stood by tankerBRITISH COUNCILLOR that had been torpedoed by
submarine.Rejoined convoy.(Note: HMS GALLANT detached from escort and took
survivors to Rosyth.)

March

North
Sea convoy defence, patrol and contraband duties in
continuation.(For details of North Sea activities
in 1940 see THREE CORVETTES by M Monsarrat andTHE BATTLE OF THE EAST COAST by J P Foynes.)

April

Transferred to
Home Fleet at Scapa Flow prior to planned landings in Norway(Operation RUPERT/R4).

4th
- Deployed in NW Approaches and North Sea.

14th - Part of
screen for HM Battleship VALIANT and HM Repair Ship VINDICTIVE with HMDestroyers CODRINGTON, ACASTA, ARDENT, FEARLESS and
BRAZEN, to coverpassage of military convoy taking
troops for landing at Narvik.Convoy
destination changed to Namsos.(For details of the disastrous naval operations off
Norway see CARRIER GLORIOUS by JWinton, NARVIK
by D MacIntyre THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by Adams.)

16th
- Deployed with Fleet units off Norway.

24th - Intercepted
and captured trawler POLARIS believed to be supporting U-Boats in North Sea.

7th - Joined HM
Destroyers JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS,.NUBIAN,
MOHAWK, GREYHOUND,GALLANT and DAINTY as screen for HM
Battleships WARSPITE and VALIANT as ForceA.Covered passage of
military convoy to Piraeus in Eastern Mediterranean after transfer fromForce H (Operation EXCESS/ MC4).(Note:
Passage of convoys MW5(F), MW5(S) and ME6 between
Malta and Egypt was alsocovered by this
Operation).

10th - Rescued
survivors from HMS GALLANT which was mined 25 miles SE of Pantellaria.(Note: Stem portion of HMS GALLANT was later towed to
Malta.)

15th
- Re-deployed in Red Sea for convoy escort duty.

February

Provided
support for military offensive in Italian Somaliland (Operation CANVAS).

28th
- Present at Battle of Matapan as part of screen for
Fleet units.Sank Italian destroyers VITTORIO
ALFIERI and GIOSUE CARDUCCI with HM DestroyersGREYHOUND
and HAVOCK.(See Naval Staff History and MATAPAN
by SW Pack.)

29th
- Part of screen for Fleet units covering passage of military convoys to
Piraeus(Operation LUSTRE).

April

Mediterranean
Fleet deployment for support of military convoys to Greece in continuation.

24th - Escorted
Convoy AN29 with HM Destroyers DECOY, HASTY, WATERHEN (RAN) andVENDETTA (RAN).Detached
to join HM Cruiser COVENTRY and three other destroyers as escort for ssPENLAND and ss THIRLAND CASTLE to evacuate troops from Megara near
Corinth(Operation DEMON).Under air attacks during which ss PENLAND was sunk.Rescued
survivors from PENLAND and detached to Suda Bay.(For details see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
Naval Staff History).

18th
- Deployed with Fleet units in support of evacuation from Crete.Embarked allied troops for passage from Suda Bay and Sphakia.(For details of Crete Campaign see THE BATTLE FOR THE
MEDITERRANEAN,ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and
Naval Staff History.)

June to July

On completion
of Crete evacuation deployed in support of military operations in Syria againstVichy French, based at Haifa (Operation EXPORTER).Bombarded vehicles on road between
Haifa and Beirut.Part
of escort for cruisers during bombardment near Beirut.(For details see RELUCTANT ENEMIES by W Tute).

August to September

Transferred to
Alexandria for support of Tobruk garrison.Deployed for escort of convoys and transport of mail,
troops and supplies.Under air
attacks during passages.Took part in
relief of Australian garrison and replacement by Polish and British troops.(See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY and Naval Staff
History)

October

Tobruk support in continuation.

21st - Took
part in rescue of personnel from HM River Gunboat GNAT north of Bardia with HMDestroyer
JAGUAR.(Note: HMS GNAT had been torpedoed
by U99 and badly damaged).Towed HMS GNAT
until arrival of tugs off MersaMatruh.

November

Deployed with
2nd Destroyer Flotilla for screening of major Fleet units.

24th - Part of
screen for HM Battleships QUEEN ELIZABETH, VALIANT and BARHAM with otherFleet destroyers during search for enemy supply
convoys reported on passage to Benghazi.

25th - Took
part in anti-submarine operation after HMS BARHAM had been sunk by U331.(Note: HMS BARHAM sank in less than 5 minutes with
loss of 862 lives. )

December

Deployed with
2nd Destroyer Flotilla for interception of enemy convoys and the bombardmentof enemy shore positions at Dena in support of 8th
Army advance.

14th - Took
part in rescue of 144 survivors from HM Cruiser GALATEA after she had been
torpedoedby U557.(Note:
This cruiser sank almost immediately.)

13th - Joined
Force B as screen for HM Cruisers DIDO, EURYALUS and NAIAD with HMDestroyers HASTY, ARROW, HAVOC, JAGUAR, JERVIS, KELVIN
and KIPLING forcover of Convoy MW9 during passage
to Malta and Convoy ME10 from Malta to Egypt(Operation
MF5).

14th - After
Convoy MW9A/B had been overwhelmed and sunk in air attacks, returned with Force
B toAlexandria as escort for Convoy
ME10.(For details of this disastrous
attempt to pass a relief convoy to Malta see above references).

30th - Sailed
with Force B ships to intercept Japanese warships in the event of an attack on
Ceylonby carrier aircraft operating in
Indian Ocean.

31st - Took
part in unsuccessful search operation with ships of Force B in conjunction with
Force A.

April

2nd to 8th - Resumed search operation with Force B after
refuelling at Addu Atoll.(For details see OPERATION PACIFIC by E Gray and WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO).)

10th - Passage to Killindini
with Force B.(Note: Force B ships were dispersed
to East Africa as it was recognised that RN strength
in theIndian Ocean was insufficient to
prevent Japanese attack on Ceylon.)

May

Deployed on
convoy defence in Indian Ocean.

Detached with HMS FORTUNE and HMS HOTSPUR to reinforce
defence for Malta reliefconvoy
from Alexandria.Took passage to Bombay.Escorted HM Battleship CENTURION to
Alexandria.(Note: HMS CENTURION, launched in
1911, had been disguised to resemble a modemKING
GEORGE V Class battleship and was to be deployed during Malta reliefconvoy operation as a decoy. See ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE
CLOSELY)

15th - Threat
from superior force of Italian warships was anticipated and convoy was ordered
toreverse course.As a result of temporary confusion ships became a
sitting target for waiting E-Boats whichresulted
in sinking of HMS HASTY and damage to HMS NEWCASTLE.Ships
again ordered to reverse course towards Malta.After
dawn sustained air attacks were renewed which
seriously depleted stocks of ammunitionand
damaged escort destroyer HMS AIREDALE had to be sunk.Operation
was then abandoned.During return to Alexandria HMS
HERMIONE was sunk by U205 and HM DestroyerNESTOR
(RAN), previously damaged in the air attacks, had to be scuttled.(For details of this ill directed and ill conceived operation see THE BATTLE FORTHE MEDITERRANEAN, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY,
MALTACONVOYS and Naval Staff History.)

July

Passage to
rejoin Eastern Fleet at Kilindini.Resumed convoy escort duty in Indian Ocean.

August

Deployed in
Indian Ocean for convoy defence and interception.Nominated for refit and conversion for use as an A/S
Escort Destroyer.

September

Took part in Eastern
Fleet amphibious exercise at Zanzibar.Passage to Freetown.

October

Joined escort
for convoy to Bermuda at Freetown.On
release from escort took passage to Southampton.

November

2nd
- Taken in hand at Southampton for refit and conversion for anti-submarine
escort duties.(Note: Work
done included:Two of the 4.7in gun mountings
removed.The forward
mounting was replaced by HEDGEHOG Ahead Throwing A/Smounting
and additional Depth Charge facilities were fitted in place of theafter gun.Warning radar
sets Type 286 and 271 were also added as well as additional 20mmOerlikon guns for close range AA defence.For details of
development of A/S weapons and radar see SEEK AND STRIKE byW. Hackmann and RADAR AT SEA
by D Howse).

December

Under
refit.

1 9 4 3

January to
February

Under
refit.

March

1st
- Transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy.

20th
- Commissioned for service as HMCS GRIFFIN.

24th
- Refit work completed.

S e r v i c e a s H M CS O T T A W A (ii)

April

10th
- Renamed HM Canadian Destroyer OTTAWA, despite the objection of the captain.(Note: This name had been previously carried by a
Canadian destroyer sunk in theAtlantic by a
U-Boat in September 1942.)

May

Worked up at Tobermory for service as Senior Officer's ship in the 5th
CanadianEscort Group based at St. John's.Passage to Canada to join Group for
Mid-Ocean Escort duty.

27th
- Part of escort for Convoy HX240.

June

Mid-Atlantic
escort duty in continuation.

10th
- Formally handed over to Royal Canadian Navy as a gift.

July to December

Mid-Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation.

1 9 4 4

January

Mid-Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation.

February

24th - Escorted
Convoy SC153.

March to April

Mid-Atlantic
convoy escort in continuation.

Nominated
for duty in support of allied landings in Normandy(Operation
NEPTUNE).

May

Transferred to
11th Canadian Escort Group as Senior Officer's ship.Passage to Plymouth.Joined
HM Canadian Destroyers CHAUDIERE, GATINEAU, KOOTENAY and STLAURENT.

June

Deployed at
Plymouth.

4th
- Carried out anti-submarine operations with Group to prevent any entry of
U-Boats intoEnglish Channel.

11th
- Transferred to Portsmouth Command to improve protection available for convoys
to beachheads.(For details of naval activities
prior to and during the invasion see OPERATION NEPTUNEby
K Edwards and LANDINGS IN NORMANDY June 1944 (HMSO).)

July

Channel
anti-submarine deployment in continuation.

6th - Participated
in sinking of U678 with HMCS KOOTENAY and HMS STATICE in position50.32N 00.23W. There were no survivors.(See U-BOATS DESTROYED by P Kemp.)

August

Re-deployed in
SW Approaches and Bay of Biscay for U-Boat interception.

18th - Participated
in sinking of U621 with HMS KOOTENAY and HMCS CHAUDIERE in Bay ofBiscay in position 45.52N 0.26W. There were no
survivors. (See above reference.)

20th - Participated
in sinking of U984 with HMCS KOOTENAY and HMCS CHAUDIERE inEnglish Channel in position 48.16N 05.53W. There were
no survivors. (See above reference.)

September

Deployment
in English Channel in continuation.

October

On release from
RN control took passage to Canada.

12th
- Taken in hand for refit at St. John's.

November to
December

Under
refit.

1 9 4 5

January

Under
refit.

February

Rejoined 11th
Escort Group at St. John's for convoy defence off
Canadian coast.

HMCS OTTAWA (ii) was paid off
on 31st October 1945 at Sydney, NS on completion of trooping duties and placed
on the Disposal List. She was sold in August 1946 to the International Iron and
Metal Co. for breaking up after a particularly extensive and distinguished
record of operational service in WW2.